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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779000">In Which Fasting Is A Right Pain In The Arse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotchocolatedictator/pseuds/hotchocolatedictator'>hotchocolatedictator</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Doctor learns about Jewish festivals [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Judaism, Yom Kippur | Atonement Day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:53:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotchocolatedictator/pseuds/hotchocolatedictator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Running for your life on an alien planet can be a pain on the best of days. On Yom Kippur? There's no way Donna's doing that.</p>
<p>Or, Donna's Jewish and the Doctor is always happy to learn about other traditions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tenth Doctor &amp; Donna Noble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Doctor learns about Jewish festivals [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054637</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In Which Fasting Is A Right Pain In The Arse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yes, this is extremely self indulgent. Yes, this is almost entirely based on my own experiences. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>‘Donna!’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna looked up as the Doctor stuck his head into the room she was in, a grin plastered across his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘I was thinking we could go to Phuotis. They've got these huge mountains, with the most brilliant view at the top, right across-’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Maybe another day,’ Donna interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The grin instantly morphed into concern.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Are you alright?’ The Doctor asked, ‘Feeling ill? Come with me, I’ve got loads of stuff in the medbay-’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘No, I’m not ill, don’t worry,’ Donna interrupted again, because there was honestly no other way to get a word in edgeways.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘So what’s the problem, then?’ said the Doctor, not unkindly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yom Kippur starts tonight. Not exactly the best time to go on an adventure…’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor looked thoughtful for a minute. ‘Yom Kippur… Day of Atonement, right?’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yes. And before you ask, yes, I’m Jewish. And if you’ve got a problem with that-’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh, no, definitely not!’ The Doctor hastily corrected, ‘Just been a while since I travelled with anyone Jewish. I’m a bit rusty on some of the holidays.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna relaxed. She’d thought he’d take it well - he was a time travelling alien, surely he wouldn’t be bothered by someone’s religion. Still, you could never be sure. And Donna had had enough rants about anything from Nazis to Israeli politics directed at her for a lifetime.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well, as well as all the praying and atoning, Yom Kippur has a whole load of extra rules. Which would, unfortunately, make any sort of trouble you could get us into a right pain to get out of.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Such as?’ asked the Doctor, looking genuinely curious, and although she hadn’t originally intended to, Donna kept going. It was a rare occasion indeed that the Doctor stopped talking and listened, and she wasn’t going to waste it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘The fasting, for one thing. Twenty five hours without food or drink is bad enough when you spend it in synagogue, but as well as running for my life? No thank you. And then there’s the no electricity thing. If I’m not even meant to turn the lights on, I don’t think using alien gadgets is exactly allowed.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Fair point,’ the Doctor nodded. He clapped his hands together and beamed at her. ‘So that’s that settled then! Tomorrow, we celebrate Yom Kippur, and then the day after we can go to Phuotis.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna smiled right back. ‘Sounds like a plan.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor frowned slightly as Donna put the pot down on the table, confused.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Don’t you normally have dinner a bit later?’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna handed him a plate and some cutlery, and began to help herself to beef stew.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah, but the fast starts at 6:32 and I don’t want to get caught out.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor had landed them on Earth for the day, so that Donna could keep track of the time without the clocks whirring and changing every time the TARDIS moved.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a bite of one of his potatoes, the Doctor glanced at the clock - he didn’t need it to tell the time, not really, but he did love a good clock, and why not use them if he had them? - and ate a little faster.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Although he had visited a synagogue before (honestly, it would have been more surprising if he hadn’t), the Doctor didn’t think he’d ever been on a Yom Kippur before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The best way to describe it was busy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The seats were filled with people, and there were more standing outside, coming, going, talking. Little kids ran to and fro, tugging at their parents’ clothes to get their attention or laughing as they followed their friends. Adults held their prayer books - mahzors, Donna had called them, showing him her own one - and followed along with the service. A lot of them seemed to have a similar fashion sense to him, suits and smart dresses with trainers, although there were definitely some crocs being sported. Donna had explained that too, a rule about not wearing leather shoes. Still, it was helpful. His outfit blended right in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, not totally. He had a kippah, firmly attached to his hair with numerous hair grips, but he didn’t have a tallit. There were some particularly beautiful ones about. In fact, the one Donna had unfolded from an embroidered velvet bag was gorgeous, with flowers stitched on it and golden Hebrew lettering around the edge. It suited her, he thought as he watched her pray, singing along with the congregation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rabbi began her sermon, and the Doctor sat down and listened.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m bored,’ moaned Donna, sprawled across a sofa in the library with an Agatha Christie novel next to her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor glanced up from his own book - a signed edition of The Importance of Being Earnest, which he should really go and see again. The Aurora Theatre production from 4176 was particularly good, if he remembered rightly…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head slightly and got back to the matter at hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘We could play another game of spit?’ he offered, ‘I reckon I can beat you this time!’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, it was a challenge now. And Donna Noble didn’t turn down challenges.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘You’re on, spaceman!’</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four games of spit, two games of monopoly and a half-hearted attempt at backgammon later, they gave up on games.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took up a couple of hours, though. And also convinced the Doctor to never try and beat Donna at cards.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘7:03,’ Donna announced, watching the clock on the wall of the library.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘It won’t go any faster if you watch it, you know,’ said the Doctor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna stuck up two fingers at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With bated breath they stared at the clock on the oven of the fourth kitchen (the one with the yellow walls) as the minute changed to 7:32. For a second, there was silence. Then…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yes!’ Shouted Donna, flicking the light switch on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, making whirring noises for no reason and grinning like a loon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘And now,’ announced Donna, ‘we eat!’</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hot milk and honey?’ The Doctor asked, looking at the mug Donna had handed him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Family tradition,’ she replied, taking a sip from her own mug - the first thing she’d eaten or drunk in 25 hours, ‘drink up!’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Are there any other traditional foods?’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna shrugged. ‘Depends where your family’s from, really. Mine, it’s generally some sort of fish.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor opened the fridge (also yellow. Donna had never seen a yellow fridge before, but it was the TARDIS, so it was probably best not to ask) and looked inside, pulling out a packet after a few seconds.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Are these any good?’ He asked, holding it out so she could see, ‘The old girl’s put them in there.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna took the packet with a grin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Fish balls! Perfect!’ She looked up at the ceiling of the TARDIS, remembering the Doctor calling the ship sentient. ‘Thank you.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘So, was that an alright Yom Kippur?’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna smiled at the Doctor. ‘The best. Thank you for doing that for me.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘No problem!’ He paused, then asked, ‘They don’t all involve that much fasting, do they?’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Donna laughed. ‘Definitely not! Oh, just you wait for Hanukkah…’</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And that is how Donna ended the most interesting Yom Kippur of her life so far (well, if you don’t count some from when she was a kid. Celebrating with a time travelling alien and telling horror stories in the girls’ toilets were about equal), eating fish balls with her fingers straight out of the packet, on a sentient space ship floating through the time vortex.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was nowhere she would rather be.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked it! I have vague plans to write more about various other Jewish holidays if anyone's interested?<br/>Kudos and comments are always appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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